Jake Haney, 15, with his father, Roger, in the Spectrum Fudge factory
Sweeter Outcomes for Special Workers
By Bob Fulton
A few years back, Roger Haney decided his best option was to quit—just walk away from his six-figures-a-year job as a hospital administrator… to make fudge.
And he’s never been happier.
What on the surface seems sheer lunacy was actually a carefully conceived plan to benefit his 15-year-old son, Jake, who is on the autism spectrum. The result was Spectrum Fudge—with a mission not only to satisfy the sweet tooth of customers all across the country but to create opportunities for those like Jake, who are too often overlooked and underappreciated.
“I cashed in my retirement so that my wife and I could try to provide something for our son when he would graduate,” said Haney ’01, M’03, who opened his Penn Hills fudge factory in 2021. “The employment rate for individuals with special needs is really low. About 67 percent right now are either unemployed or underemployed. And many organizations that do employ those individuals send them just to clean. Their entire job is to clean, whether it’s mopping the floor, bathrooms, sweeping. And while that’s a part of any job, we at Spectrum Fudge wanted to give them other opportunities.”
High school seniors, from left, Joseph Coiner, Marina Sciullo, and Ryan Guidry join Roger Haney in the factory.
Haney provides those opportunities at his nondescript factory, where approximately 60 workers—most school age, but some in their 40s and 50s—regularly gather in a 3,000-square-foot space, near a wall adorned with an image of Gene Wilder as the title character in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
There, they produce an array of mouth-watering chocolates and other confections in a welcoming environment.
“For many of these individuals, this is the very first time they’ve done anything outside of the classroom,” said Haney, who co-owns the business with his wife, Erin, and another couple, Scott and Brandy Hershberger. “Unfortunately, many of these individuals have not gotten the same experience that maybe a neurotypical individual would have. Next thing you know, they’re 17, 18, 19 years old, and they’ve never had a chance to do something in the workforce. So our job, which we take very seriously, is giving them real-world experience so they can go out and achieve their goals in life.”
Haney draws his workers from 11 area school districts and various nonprofit agencies for special needs individuals. Others come through the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Haney positively beams while describing how his charges blossom after passing through the doors of Spectrum Fudge.
The Haneys: Roger, Caitlin, Jake, and Erin
“It’s just fun to see them grow, knowing how they were the very first time they came in,” he said. “To see the change, when only weeks ago they were so nervous and so shy. And now they have a confidence about them. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”
His workers turn out a variety of delectable treats—gourmet fudge made with imported Belgian chocolate being the headliner. Flavors include dark chocolate, orange creamsicle, maple walnut, cookies and cream, rocky road, penuche, and blueberry cheesecake. The factory also turns out chocolate-covered Oreos, Twinkies, apples, raisins, pretzels, and espresso beans; peanut butter meltaways; assorted nuts, either plain, spicy, or chocolate covered; and caramel popcorn. Haney ships his products to 46 states. Spectrum Fudge confections are sold at three locations in the town of Indiana: the IUP Co-op Store, the Hilton Garden Inn, and the recently opened Sweet Little Shop along Philadelphia Street. Everything is produced at the Penn Hills factory, where workers build skills that will serve them well in the years to come.
“We have a career ladder,” Haney explained. “The very first day, they learn the most basic things—packaging, sealing, and putting on nutrition labels, our logo, and a best-by date. Then, as they progress, they get involved a little bit more in the baking process, where they can dip the apples or the Oreos or the pretzels and assist with the fudge slicing. From there, some can assist in the nondangerous portion of fudge cooking.
“And then, ultimately, many of them that show interest can come out with me into the community for what I refer to as shows, where we sell our products. We do a lot of work with area hospitals. We’ll set up tables, and I’ll have individuals with special needs there with me. They learn how to make change, type into the computer, interact with customers, those sort of things.”
Find out where Spectrum Fudge products are available. Products may also be purchased online.
Haney held a recent show at Indiana Regional Medical Center, within sight of campus and Ackerman Hall, where he spent many hours working toward a degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management. He had initially envisioned a career in a restaurant setting.
But after earning his master’s in industrial and labor relations, Haney pivoted to hospital work. He moved to Florida, met and married Erin, and they had two children, Caitlin and Jake. After discovering that resources for special needs kids were better in Pennsylvania than in Florida, Haney chose to return to his home state and launch his fudge company.
The first few years were something of a struggle, but fortunes have improved of late. Spectrum Fudge has even been recognized by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins, in conjunction with First National Bank, as a regional Small Business of the Year, with ads shown during baseball and hockey telecasts.
So, what does the future hold for Haney and Spectrum Fudge? A brick-and-mortar location from which to sell products is on his radar. One day, he’d like Spectrum Fudge to earn recognition as the premier fudge company in Pennsylvania, maybe even in the United States.
The only certainty for now is that Haney doesn’t regret for a moment turning his back on a well-paying job to try his hand at making fudge—a leap of faith designed to benefit his son and others with special needs.
“Don’t get me wrong; I loved what I did,” Haney said. “I loved the teams that I built. I miss that camaraderie with leaders in healthcare. But I get everything I’m looking for and more with the teams we’ve built here, the stories we create, and the opportunities we provide. I probably work more hours now than I did in healthcare administration. But I don’t feel like I work at all, because I love what I do.”